


Dragon Heart

by CyberLatias (RenegadeLord)



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:21:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22482478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RenegadeLord/pseuds/CyberLatias
Summary: Set shortly after the second film, Drago returns home only to find that things have changed. And when a new threat arrives on Berk, Astrid finds everything she ever wanted locked behind a mystical probe and the Bewilderbeast's call. Will ambition and manipulation tear Berk apart once and for all?
Kudos: 6





	1. Call of the Bewilderbeast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a beautiful time on Berk and in it's archepelago. But in the far reaches, a sinister plot has been concocted. And one unfortunate Dragon Rider is about to find themselves caught in a trap from which there is no escape.

It was a beautiful morning in the Caliban Cliffs, 76 nautical miles south of Berk. Skylar, a former inhabitant of the tribe which lived there, was waiting for Drago Bludvist to return with the Dragons. Suddenly, he landed on his Bewilderbeast, and noticed that someone else was in his normal place as ruler of the cliffs.

'You...' 'Are taking your throne. I trust you got the Dragons?' 'Not quite. Now what is a little brat like you doing playing adult games?' 'What do you mean by not quite? It's a perfectly simple question.''I… was defeated.' 'What- by the other Bewilderbeast? You didn't think to beware of another Bewilderbeast? Seriously? I thought you were better than that.' 'No- by a young Viking kid.' 'What- the blonde, seriously attractive one? Fearless Finn's girl?' 'No- the leader of them. He rode upon a Night-Fury.' 'A Night Fury you say? Colour me surprised, I thought they all died out years ago. Still, you can't get the staff these days. Your court is not very impressed, nor am I. Court, everyone who thinks that Drago should have his Bewilderbeast taken off of him and he should be thrown into the darkest dungeon on this island, raise your hands." About ¾ of the court raised their hands. "Good. Guards, take him out of my sight immediately. His mighty beast belongs to me now.' The mountainous Drago took this news terribly. 'What? You cannot take my Dragon off of me you insolent child!' 'Remember that the Bewilderbeast didn't belong to you in the first place. It is a right of being the chief of the cliffs. A right which you no longer deserve- you are a disgrace to our society. I, Skylar, am now the commander of the cliffs. Get him down to the cells- I will decide on a punishment for his failure at a later date. I have a special guest coming soon- I expect Drago to be out of my sight by the time he arrives.' 'Don't do this you ungrateful child.' 'Goodbye old man.'The former leader of the tribe was then removed, shouting and screaming just as the young man's guest landed on his Thunderdrum. Sire, your guest is here.' 'Show him in- we have business to discuss.'

He then strolled in nonchalantly. His name was Dagur… Dagur the Deranged. 'Why hello there Dagur.' 'I'll cut to the chase- why did you want to speak to me old friend?' 'I'm sure you remember all the times that you tried and failed to take Hiccup's Night-Fury.' 'Don't remind me- I have literally tried everything that doesn't involve hurting him, and plenty of things that do involve hurting him. But that's in the past now- I won't harm my brother anymore.' 'I'm aware you have made peace. But this is your chance at redemption. Also, you and Hiccup probably are unrelated.' At this point, Dagur changed the subject. 'Excuse me, but if you're going to give me a lecture, please may I take a seat?' 'Guards, get Dagur the best chair we have. Other than mine.' They then brought one in. 'Right- I have a plan to let you gain the Night Fury, and the crown of Berk.'

'Soooo, you really want my help?' 'Of course. I know many people, but few do I know better than you- we've been drinking partners for as long as I've been drinking, and that's a very long time, we start early here. You're the man for this job, with your belief that brute force and ignorance wins battles.' 'You know what you're doing?' 'Why do you think I've been away for so long. Apart from the fact that I was banished for being even more deranged than you.' 'Really- you're starting that again?'

'Just answer the question, arguing can wait for the tavern. Are you in or out?' 'Hmm- Dagur the Deranged, chief of the Berserker tribe and of Berk... fine- I'm in.' 'Good. Now your problem is you're not focused on the right person. We do not target Mr. Horrendous Haddock III.' Why?' 'He has a special weakness.' 'Take advantage then.' 'His weakness is his heart.' Indignant, Dagur was focused primarily on violence. 'Shoot him there then. I have poison arrows.' 'I'm not going to do that- you miss the point old friend. His weakness is his heart- he cares too much.' Finally, it twigged in Dagur's mind. 'Ah, so you mean target his birdy bit on the side.' 'That's right- Fearless Finn's girl.' 'I'm listening.' He then talked Dagur through the details of the plan, dumbing down each detail sufficiently.

On Berk 

That day in particular, the sun was shining, and Berk was beautiful. The sea glistened under the baking sun, and the blinding light was refracting off of the mountaintops. The rocks shone as if they had been polished thoroughly. But the conspiring war-mates weren't there for sightseeing purposes. Dagur started the plan by flying over over Berk with his Thunderdrum (which he called Shattermaster 2.0). Meanwhile, I was lurking nearby with the Bewilderbeast that I'd taken off of Drago. Dagur was quickly noticed by the Dragon Riders, who were on a training mission.

'I've come for my Night-Fury. Totally not leaving without it. Hiccup responded with a roll of his eyes. 'Not this again, I thought we were over this.' 'Hiccup- how are you my brother?' 'We're not brothers. I told you, Mom confirmed it - we are not related. In fact, he's never heard of you.' Astrid then joined in from the back. 'He'd rather have Snotlout as a brother.' 'Thanks Astrid.' 'Not a compliment.' 'Aww, Hiccup's girlfriend coming to his aid because he can't stand up for himself.' 'Shut up Dagur.' 'No seriously- she loves you so. Pity she's delusional.'

'Seriously? You're calling her delusional? Have you looked in the mirror recently? Have you realised that you're called Dagur the Deranged?' 'Aww, sticking up for her now. Give me your Night-Fury and I'll leave you alone brother.' 'We're not brothers, and I'm not giving you anything. Apart from a Plasma Blast from Toothless if you don't leave us alone.' 'Pity that. Now my Dragon, blow them away.' Shattermaster 2.0 then released a massive Sonic Blast, which had Snotlout and Fishlegs holding onto the bottom of their dragons.

At this point, Astrid flew to the front of the party. 'Stormfly, single spine shot.' Stormfly then released a spine shot that Dagur pulled away from. He then turned tail, with Astrid flying after him. 'This is it- he's not getting any more chances. In the name of Berk, I will take him out of our lives once and for all.' 'Don't do anything stupid Astrid.' 'Trust me on this one.' She then smiled at Hiccup, and flew after Dagur, and Skylar set off from his lookout perch, his Bewilderbeast flying at top speed to keep up with the nimble Nadder. As the young, blonde Viking started to accelerate past him again, Skylar got her attention. 

'Hey you, over here.' She then looked around, and he lobbed the cylindrical probe at her, attaching tightly to the back of her neck. 'What's that? And where did you get that Bewilderbeast from? Are you with Drago?' She then tried ripping the probe off, but it wouldn't come off, sticking as if it was being held by glue. 'Now my Dragon, take what's mine.' My Bewilderbeast then roared, controlling Stormfly's mind, and the probe released a pheromone that affected Astrid as well, causing her and Stormfly to start flying sideways.

'Wha… what's happening to me? I can't think straight, and I'm feeling all woozy.' She then heard Stormfly's struggling. 'Stay… stay strong girl.' As the probe pulsated blue, she began to lose consciousness. 'I... help me Hiccup.' Dagur then flew up behind her and gloated. 'Nobody can help you now blondie.' 'Dagur… I'm going… to kill you. Just… you' Astrid then lost consciousness mid-sentence, and Stormfly was free to follow the Bewilderbeast back, with no guidance from her rider.

'Good job Dagur.' 'I nearly died.' 'Not the first time I'm sure- practically a hobby of yours by now.' 'I want my Night-Fury.' 'I know, and you'll get it. Now fly behind her to make sure the probe stays on. Should do, but can't be too careful.' 'Why is this probe so important?' 'I'll explain later- take too long now.' 'Why do you bother with plans- I don't.' 'Look how far that got you. If you want the Night Fury, follow my plan.'

When they got back to the cliffs, Astrid was still unconscious. Skylar locked Stormfly in a cell (still under the power of the Bewilderbeast), and retrieved Stormfly's saddle for Astrid to use as a pillow, before laying her down on the cold hard ground and creating the perfect conditions for her spell to grow by blocking out all light from her cell, leaving only the darkness. The conspiring Vikings then had a little talk over their favourite beverage. 

'So why exactly is she unconscious?' 'Trust me, you wouldn't understand. You simply don't have the mental capacity.' 'Try me.' 'The probe released a special pheromone. This pheromone created an effect in her brain that knocked her unconscious. Also, it will plant a little seed- a seed that will slowly make her obey me as if I am the Bewilderbeast and she is merely a helpless Dragon. Understand?'   
'No.' 'Big surprise there. It'll be easier to show you tomorrow. Take my word for it, she will be ripe for reprogramming in the morning, she'll be completely evil.'

Dagur was far from satisfied, however. 'I don't like waiting for surprises.' 'Well you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see my plan in action.' 'When do I get my Night-Fury?' 'Sooner the better- might shut you up.' 'Better had be soon.' Skylar then pulled out a long, thin sword and pointed it at the Berserker's neck. 'The more you shout, the worse things will get. Got it?' 'Yeah. Let's go to bed- there's more work to do in the morning, I'm sure.' They then went to bed for the night, leaving Astrid and Stormfly in their respective prisons.

Back on Berk, Hiccup was concerned. 'I wish she wouldn't just dash off like this. For such a great warrior, she's so impulsive at times!' Needless to say Snotlout was less concerned, however. 'Don't sweat it Hiccup, she'll probably camp somewhere overnight. She'll be back in the morning, 100%.' 'It's on you if she isn't Snotlout.' The next day, Dagur and Skylar, and Astrid was on her knees, eyes half-closed. He slithered around her sinisterly, before gently purring his words out. 'Morning Astrid.' 'Where am I?' 'You are on a remote island. Astrid, you are loyal to us. Hiccup turned on you; they turfed you out of the Dragon Riders. We took you in when you had nowhere to go. Now arise and obey.' The Bewilderbeast then roared the same message at her and Stormfly, and she stood up, barely able to stand. 'Let's go Astrid.' 'Yes my liege.' They then left. 'Dagur, you know your sister Heather?' 'I mean I should do- she is my sister, after all. Where did you hear?' A friend mentioned it. Anyway- you know where she is?' 'I know she hangs out around Dragon Edge a lot when she's not ruling territory with me.' Skylar took this advice and put it into immediate use. 'Astrid, take us to the Dragon Edge area.' 'Dragon Edge, yes.' The hypnotised viking then flew off on Stormfly, with Skylar and Dagur behind her. It was a beautiful day, which Astrid would have loved. But she was mindless, her pretty braid shimmering in the light, but quickly losing all sense of herself. She was being brainwashed. Which gave her captors time for small talk. 'Why are you wearing a piece of leather as a shirt Skylar?' 'Don't agree with wearing Dragon Skin. Do you understand what this probe does now?' 'Yeah, but is she going to keep it on for eternity? I mean, even I can see that it's going to be a bit impractical.' 'No- after a week, the bewilderbeast and me will be able to control her anyway. Should be able to anyway- I've never actually done this before, but' 'Do I get my Night-Fury now?' 'If you don't stop asking, I'll order Astrid and Stormfly to impale you on the nearest cliff. Remember- they obey me, not you. Isn't that right Astrid?' 'Yes my liege.' 'I'll take a rain check on that.' Skylar was clearly being entertained and impressed. He felt it was beautiful listening to Astrid like this, struggling yet empty. Several nautical miles later however, he was starting to become somewhat nervous regarding his masterplan. 'You're awfully quiet at the moment.' 'Yeah- just thinking. I know what effects my probe should have, and this isn't adding up?' 'What isn't adding up?' 'Various little things, it's hard to describe.' Just then, Astrid seemed to come back to her senses. 'This probe… what am I doing here?' Panicking, Skylar tried to smooth the situation over. 'Astrid, is everything ok there?' She then turned around sharply. 'Hey, aren't you the guy from yesterday? And Dagur, I told you' Before she got chance to finish, Skylar took the bold move of opening up to his captive. 'Do you want me to be honest with you?'

'It'd be a start.' 'I'm brainwashing you. That probe, the one on the back of your pretty little neck, it releases a pheromone.' 'Is that what the Bewilderbeast's for?' 'Yes. It's roar enhances the pheromone. You will become a brainwashed slave. After that, you will help us take over Berk.' 'I wouldn't… betray him like that. Not after everything he's done for me.'

'Of course, being brainwashed, you won't see it as betrayal. You're simply doing what you're told to do.' 'Why me though?' 'You're the best of the lot. You belie your gender's frail reputation. The other Dragon Riders, they have weakness. Snotlout' 'He's an idiot.' 'He's too impulsive. What about those twins, what were they called now, Rutt and Tutt? Foot and Stuff? Foot and Mouth?' Astrid laughed at that comment. 'It's Ruffnut and Tuffnut.' 'Give them a job to do and they'd fail almost immediately.' 'Trust me, I know.'

'Then we get to Fishlegs. He has knowledge, which is a powerful weapon… when used correctly.' 'If not for Fishlegs, I wouldn't know a fraction of what I know about Stormfly Never mind any other Dragon.' 'However, he's more of a lover than a fighter. He's not the soldier that I desire. Then we get to Hiccup.' 'You do realise I'm his second in command?' 'Being born into a royal family is a dubious honour. It's difficult if you're not ready. I'll give him credit for being a fantastic soldier. And he is a stable-minded leader as well.'

'The kind of leader you can tell anything to. That's the kind of leader I always imagined myself to be.' 'Exactly. I don't doubt how suitable Mr. Horrendus Haddock III is. But I do doubt whether he is as good as you. He has made himself a fantastic soldier. But there's a difference between becoming a fantastic warrior and having warrior's blood in your body. That's why I chose you Astrid Hofferson.' 'I kinda get it now. I just can't imagine you as the kind of guy to do… well, all this' Astrid hinted, while nodding at her chains.

'Precautions. Just incase my plan didn't work, I thought I'd better have a plan b. Never can be too careful.' Dagur meanwhile, was losing patience. 'Can we get on with things?' Stormfly then fired a spine at Dagur's throat, with him having to block it with his hand, causing him to utter many expletives. 'Do you mind? We're having a mature talk here.' These developments were alarming to Skylar however. 'Stormfly's under full control from my Bewilderbeast though. How did you get her to do that?'

'It's a nerve kinda thang. I just press on a certain nerve. I could get used to this actually.' 'Get used to what?' 'To this, to the free life. One of my ancestors was a nomad. It's how we ended up on Berk. Question for you now.' 'Fire away.' 'Why've you got a Bewilderbeast?' 'I have a request before I tell you - just please don't freak out.' 'What, so you think anything you say could make me freak out when you kidnapping me and being told that you tried to brainwash me to betray my fiance didn't?'

'It might when you hear it.' 'Trust me, when you've heard some of the crap I've heard, you're prepared for absolutely anything.' 'Well' 'His father is Drago Bludvist! Surprise!' Astrid seemed disgusted hearing this. 'Drago is your father?' Skylar then turned around to Dagur, and threw his hair back, before producing two daggers. 'Tell me Dagur, which arm would you like feeding to the fishes first? The female Dragon Rider then flew past him. Astrid, let me explain.' 

'Explain what? That your dad tried to kill all of us. That your dad killed our chieftain and my future father-in-law?' 'My dad is now imprisoned deep in the cliffs. I can take you to see him if you want.' 'Who imprisoned him?' 'Me. His courtiers voted me in and him out. Trust me, I'm nothing like him. I intend on building my nomadic clan and then challenging Hiccup to a fair fight. Actually, why am I justifying myself to you? I can take control of' 

'Do it.' 'I do not like being interrupted.' 'I'm telling you. I'm offering myself up to you for your cause. Take me now, otherwise I will destroy you both here and now. This is a one time deal.' 'Let me get to the probe first.' Astrid then untied her plait, and threw her blonde hair (which stretched down beyond the boundary of her legs and her bottom) over her head. Skylar then turned the probe's setting up, and Astrid was quickly overcome by the power emanating from the mechanical menace.

'That went well.' 'The fact you're my friend is the only reason you're still alive. You came this close to screwing it all up. From now on, leave it to me.' I tend to prefer the shorter, don't take 5 weeks over it strategy myself. You had to tell her at sometime.' 'Could have put it a little gentler for starters. We'll sort this out.' The three of them then flew off. Half an hour later, they found Heather, not on Dragon Edge, but on Berserker Island. 'Oh, hey Astrid, what's up? You ok actually? You look kinda tired.'

'Sister.' 'Dagur! You said that you'd only be a few hours. That was 2 days ago. Hey, you must be Skylar- Dagur mentioned you.' She then held her nose. 'Dagur, what have I told you about drinking fermented yak's milk during the day? You're supposed to be responsible.' Astrid then spoke in total monotone. 'We want to show you something.' 'Sure. You sure you're ok? Up all night again eh?' 'Yes.' The 4 of them then flew off. As Heather and Windshear took the lead, Skylar seized the opportunity.

'Stormfly, single spine shot.' Stormfly fired the spine, and Heather dodged, only for Astrid to underhandedly detach Heather's foot from Windshear's saddle, causing her to fall. 'Stormfly, retrieve. Astrid, catch Heather.' Stormfly then dove down towards Heather, and Astrid caught her hair, still looking completely blank. 'What's up with you Astrid?' Astrid, put this on her.' He then threw Astrid another probe, and she placed it on Heather's forehead, knocking her out almost instantly. 'Astrid, let's go.' 'Yes.' The company, now four strong then departed again, with Astrid looking extremely guilty.

'How many probes do you have?' 'Only one more. But, I only need one more.' 'Any plans for it?' 'Of course. I am nothing if not prepared with plans.' 'Might have known. Go on.' 'We need the Book of Dragons as well. And we need knowledge of dragons. For that, we need Fishlegs.' 'How are we' 'Astrid. But first, we need to restock. And I have to make sure our prized possession is protected.' He then flew next to Astrid. 'Astrid, we're going back to Caliban Cliffs.' 'Yes my liege.'

On Berk

By 11pm, Astrid hadn't returned, and Hiccup was getting increasingly worried. 'Right- first thing tomorrow morning... no- now, we send out a search party for her. 40 strong.' 'She'll be fine Hiccup. You just need to stop worrying about her so much. 'How do you know that? We've barely seen her in the past 2 days.' 'I know Astrid- she's probably camped out on Dragon Edge, or having a girly sleepover on Berserker Island while planning defences. You know, the stuff she enjoys.' 'And if she's not?' 'I agree with the search party, but it can wait until morning- in this light, we'll never find her. I hate to say it, but at the moment, it's a waste of resources.'

'Good point, but we need to do something.' To everyone's detrement, Ruff and Tuff then arrived, and Tuffnut had an idea. 'We do need to do something. Something that will test us to our limits... we need to try eating raw yak.' 'Absolutely- I suggest we try that immediately.' They then headbutted each other, knocking each other out. 'The things I have to put up with...'

That night, on the cliffs, Skylar sat down with Astrid in her prison. He stroked the side of her face and her back, before letting her hair down, and starting to brush it out and rebraid it (a bonding process), while putting her further under hypnotic suggestion. 

'I tell the truth Astrid. Repeat after me: I only tell the truth.' In her state, she had no way of resisting. 'You only tell the truth my liege.' 'Astrid, you and me are a team.' 'We are?' 'We are. You don't need anyone to make you stronger Astrid.' 'I don't?' No- you don't. You are strong' 'I am... strong?' 'Indeed- very strong. You want to lead your own squadron, your own community.' 'Lead... I wish to lead?...'   
'You wish to join us forever.' 'Yes- I do.' 

After giving her two braids (one on each side), he reached over to his side, and showed her a large opulent ruby. 'This is the Dragon Heart. You will take this and it will empower you. Empower you to follow my will. And once we have Fishlegs and all the Dragons, then we'll deal with Dagur- he will not take our throne. You will one day see the true value of this. But the value of it now is you can see yourself- mindless, an empty vessel. But we can change that.'

'Show me how my liege.' 'Become a queen. Become the queen, the queen you were always meant to be. This is your destiny. Now wake up and remember everything you have been taught by me.' Her eyes then returned to normal. 'I always wished to be chieftain. He doesn't understand that.' 'With the power of the Dragon Heart, you will be absolute. You will be queen of all you survey.' She looked at him affectionately. 'The only one above me is my liege. It is the way.'

Meanwhile on Berk, Hiccup had some choice words for Snotlout. 'So Astrid's going to be back 100% is she Snotlout? Because the funny thing is, I don't see her anywhere.' 'I don't know, I'm sorry. I thought she would be back.' 'Well she's not. And I just wasted an entire day when she could be in danger.' 'This is Astrid we're talking about. She's always absolutely fine.' This lit Hiccup's noble rage. 'Well apart from the time when she was blinded by a thunderstorm, and that time she nearly died of the Scourge, oh and that time she nearly drowned after being tied to the mast of a ship that you insisted on blowing up.'

'I told you, I approached from the wrong side. Besides, she can swim' 'She had her arms tied behind her. If it wasn't for Heather monitoring the area, she could have drowned! So any more of your 100% guarantees then Snotlout?' Snotlout walked off, but not before giving the chief a piece of his mind. 'You know, you're a nasty piece of work when Astrid's not here.'

The next morning, Skylar met up with Dagur and Heather, with Astrid staying in the shadows. 'Dagur, come here.' 'You can't boss me around like Astrid.' Astrid then came out, wearing a new black leather headband and polished silver armour, her twin braids barely moving. 'Dagur, Heather, meet my queen- Queen Astrid Hofferson.' Heather got on one knee and bowed down to her. 'My queen, how may I serve you?' She then gave an arrogant look, clearly completely brainwashed. 'Today, we take the Book of Dragons. We also recruit Fishlegs. Today is the start of a new era- the era of Queen Astrid.'

'I liked you better when you were unconscious.' 'Be careful what you say- I am a queen now. One wrong move and off with your head!' Skylar then intervened. 'Calm down Astrid- we deal with that later. Let's fly off- there's work to do.' They then flew off for Berk. After more than six hours of travel, they had arrived near the armoury. When we got there, we formulated a plan. 'Astrid, you will go down there and tell them you're back having got rid of Dagur for good.' 'I will.' Her and Stormfly then landed, as I kept an eye on her, and Dagur and Heather kept back. 'What is up with her?' 'Her brain is getting more and more infected. She's now thinking exactly how I want her to think rather than thinking for herself. Soon she'll be the all new Astrid. And believe me- you won't recognise her… nor will Hiccup.' 

When Astrid landed, Hiccup ran up to her. 'Astrid- I've been so worried about you, we all have- what happened?' 'Sorry Hiccup- I've dealt with Dagur once and for all.' 'Really? How?'

'Me and Stormfly chased him to the edge of the archipelago and scared him with spine shots. Spared his life obviously. I'm not some barbarian after all. I told him that if he ever puts a finger into the archipelago again, he'll be imprisoned for the rest of his life or 1000000 years- whichever lasts longer.' 'Astrid, that's brilliant- you're brilliant.' She simply stuck her head up nobelly high, and arrogantly replied 'I know.'

'So, what took you so long?' 'Do you know how long it takes to get to the end of the archipelago? Besides- I met Heather on the way back. She was pleased about me getting rid of Dagur. Who wouldn't be thankful I did that? Let's face it- he's an idiot. Isn't it about time you took a holiday?' 'Why would I want a holiday? Listen, you want to come to mine tonight? Mum's cooking like a woman possessed since she got back, but I don't think I can face another Cod Surprise on my own. Last night she didn't even have the decency to cook it.' Astrid though, was clearly not listening to a word being said.

'Sure. Do you happen to know where Fishlegs is? And what do you think to erecting a statue of me in the centre of town? Naming the village hall after me would do.' 'A statue? Naming rights? What's up with you Astrid- normally you wouldn't even want us talking about the subject. You'd be more interested in sorting out massive towers to stop invaders.' 'So what? Come on- I deserve it for basically single-handedly saving the whole of Berk. What were you doing again? Oh, that's right- you were here, goofing off.'

'Really? That's what you think of me?' 'Do you even know where Fishlegs is?' 'Yeah- he went out about half an hour ago. I think he said he was going back to Dark Deep to check on the Gronckles that he helped rescue.' 'Great- I'll be back later. Smell ya later dorkinator.' Astrid then got on Stormfly, but Hiccup stopped her flying away. 'He'll be back soon- why don't you stay a while? You had me worried last night, and I got a load of chicken for Stormfly. Thought she might be hungry."

'Filled her up on the way back. Laters.' 'Come on- you've just got back.' She then tried to fly off on Stormfly, but Hiccup wouldn't let her. 'Get off of me you freak.' 'Please stay Astrid- you've just got back- we've been out searching for you. We had a 40 strong search party patrolling the entire night.' 'But.' 'No buts- just stay.' Astrid then kicked Hiccup off of her leg. 'I'm going to see Fishlegs- I found out something new about Razorwhips and I figured he'd want to know. Don't even think of following me, I don't want a stalker. Oh, and you and me? We're through.' She then flew off, and after a well-mannered amount of time, Skylar followed her.

'Plan's all going well so far.' She just smiled. I'm quite enjoying being a queen. I can do whatever I like now.' When they approached Dark Deep, she started wing-walking on top of Stormfly, and then leapt off of Stormfly, landing on her feet right next to Fishlegs, and creating a dust cloud. 'Astrid- Hiccup's been' 'I know- I've had the full Haddocking lecture. I wanted to show you something Heather gave me.'   
'Heather?' 'Yeah- met her on the way back into the archipelago after driving off Dagur. Really long and not interesting story.' She then passed Fishlegs the probe.

'What is this?' 'She said she got it after raiding a Dragon Hunter ship. Said that if you stick it on the back of your neck, then you become able to speak to your Dragons on a whole new level. Fancy giving it a go?' 'Sure.' Astrid then stuck it on the back of Fishlegs' neck. As he bent down to try and test it out, Astrid gave me the thumbs up and the Bewilderbeast did its thing, controlling him and Meatlug within seconds. Fishlegs, let's go.' When they returned to Dragon's Edge, Astrid made a rather interesting comment. 'You know, he used to call himself Thor Bonecrusher when he was accidentally hypnotised once. He really had the hots for me. Let's make that his new identity.' 'Good idea.'

'Sounds better than Fishlegs Ingerman. Am I allowed to do this one?' 'As long as you have the Dragon Heart, you'll be able to tap into the power of the Bewilderbeast when it's nearby.' She then went to work. 'Fishlegs, from now on, your name will no longer be Fishlegs Ingerman, it will be Thor Bonecrusher. You will be a ruthless warrior, able to take down any opponent in battle, with incredible endurance. Fishlegs is your slave name; you don't want to go back to that. You are my sworn protector.'

She then came back. 'Is it going to work?' 'Of course it is. How about when we take all the Dragons, us two live at Dragon Edge?' 'Yeah- sounds good. But first, I want to defeat Hiccup.' 'Good- glad we're in agreement. Now all we need to do is leave him for a couple of days, then we'll be ready for the big finale.' 'Can't wait to see the looks on their faces.' Dagur still seemed confused though. 'Why did that effect Fishlegs so easily?' 'It's affect not effect. And Fishlegs' will is a lot weaker than Astrid's seemingly.'

Meanwhile, back on Berk:

'Right everybody, stop messing around. Astrid's gone missing again, and this time, Fishlegs has gone as well. We're sending out an 80 strong search party.' '80? That's like nearly all of Berk's security. Where were they again?' 'Snotlout, I've been through this. Fishlegs was on Dark Deep checking up on those Gronckles he saved, and Astrid flew off in that direction, saying she had something she wanted to tell Fishlegs about Razorwings.' 'Acting strangely? Like she wanted to get away?' 'Yeah- she couldn't wait to get going. She even missed spending time with me- we're that close, and she doesn't even bother to come? Something isn't right, and I don't like it. She was saying something about a statue, naming the village hall after her, that sounds nothing like her.'

Being a qualified marriage counseller, Snotlout decided to take some revenge on his chief. 'Isn't it obvious then?' 'Is it?' 'Yeah- acting strangely, vanishing for days without a trace, ignoring you, trying to get away, it all makes sense.' Snotlout then whispered his idea into Hiccup's ear. 'Snotlout, that is disgusting. She wouldn't do that.' The twins then turned back up, having spent the morning trying to milk a wooden beam. 

'She would… wait- what wouldn't she do?' 'What Snotlout just said to him.' 'Oh right, makes sense now. So if she has done what Snotlout said to him, how do we prove that she's done what Snotlout said to him?' Snotlout had the answer. 'Covert operations.' 'What- that yellow liquid thing you have on Yak cake?' Snotlout then thumped Ruffnut on the helmet, hurting his own hand. 'Covert, not custard dumbass. Look what you made me do to my hand! My poor, innocent, beautiful hand!'

'Snotlout, you have Hookfang- he couldn't hide behind a mountain, never mind some rocks in Dark Deep.' 'Never said me. If you want to find out, you need to see it yourself.' 'Do I have back-up?'< 'Sure- not like I have anything better to do today than see your relationship go down the pan.' 'Great. Twins, you in?' 'In what- custard?' 'Are you coming to help me?' 'Sure- whatever you want help with. Hey- what does he want help with?' 'I don't know, probably something to do with custard. Sounds fun though.' They then head-butted each other again, knocking each other out, leaving Hiccup despairing. 

'With those two, I sometimes feel like running away. Right- let's go. While I keep an eye on them, you lot stay back." They then flew off to Dark Deep (including Ruffnut and Tuffnut when they eventually came to again) to try and find Astrid and Fishlegs. Sadly for them, the search came up empty handed, with the Caliban natives already hidden at Dragon's Edge by that time. A couple of days later, they set off to complete our plan, with Heather flying in front of Skylar and Astrid, then Thor Bonecrusher, and then Dagur.

Right- the plan is' 'We get me my Night-Fury.' Astrid then turned around on Stormfly and fired a warning shot of spines at Dagur. 'Watch it- you nearly took my head off there.' 'If you say one more word, I will take your head off. And then I'll present it on a spear to your entire Berserker clan. Understood?' 'Let's not be too hasty now, let's destroy Hiccup instead.' 'Astrid, you can deal with him later.' 'Of course. Just to check- the Bewilderbeast won't cause problems for Stormfly?'

'No- she's doing what we want her to anyway. Got your axe?' 'She's especially sharpened to make sure the plan comes to fruition. We will take over.' 'Thor, you know what to do?' 'If they cause us problems, we destroy them. I won't let them harm the queen.' Astrid then checked in on the other recruit. 'Heather, you ok there?' 'I see Berk. 30⁰ north, two nautical miles.'

'Good job Heather. Everybody, swoop down.' Dagur then saw the writing on the wall. 'Let me guess- you want me to act as a decoy?' 'No Dagur- we want you to keep out of our way.' 'Why?' 'Because it's been proven that you are incapable of executing a plan properly, and you're not exactly the brightest.' Astrid however, wasn't so gentle with her words. 'He means you've become a liability and a distraction.' 'Astrid is going to go ahead along with Heather.' Astrid and Heather then landed, right in front of the Dragon Academy.

'Astrid- what's been wrong with you lately?' 'Shut up- this is an invasion. Give us all your dragons voluntarily, or we will take them by force.' 'We are the hunters- you are our prey. Queen Astrid requires my help, I will do that for her.' 'Queen Astrid, invasion, what is this- a practical joke?' Hiccup then went to touch Astrid, but she kicked his hand away, and just stood, chest out, steely determination lighting up her eyes. 'You wish. I am a queen now, and we're taking all of your dragons. Including Toothless. He deserves much better than you anyway. As do I!'

'Listen to me- see sense.' 'I only listen to the power of the mighty Bewilderbeast. It broadcasts it's thoughts to me, it empowers me at the cost of my mind. So I will become a queen.' She then laughed as Skylar made an appearance on the Bewilderbeast behind her. 'Astrid? What the hell has happened to you? And who are you?' 'The name's Skylar. Remember Drago? Well I'm the one who hired him. But, he was unable to get the job done, because he let his ego cloud his judgement. I will not do the same.'

'I am a queen now- with Stormfly by my side, and a Bewilderbeast to call upon, I will reign victorious. Stormfly, show him what I mean.' Stormfly then shot out several spines, one of which bounced wildly off of Hiccup's riding armour. Snotlout then came in. 'Leave this to me Hiccup- it's about to get HOT in here.' 'Snotlout- you're helping me now?' 'I'm not just doing it for you. I don't care that she's our mate- she's threatening Berk. Hookfang- flame her.' Hookfang then released a jet of flame, but Thor and Metalug, got in the way to protect Astrid. 'Fishlegs?'

'My name is Thor Bonecrusher. Fishlegs is my slave name given to me by my former capturs in the so called "Dragon Riders". And you tried to hurt Queen Astrid- that is a crime we cannot forgive. Meatlug, spew." Meatlug spewed lava from her mouth, but it didn't affect Hookfang much. 'Windshear, your turn.' Windshear fired multiple spines at Hookfang, but the Nightmare flew above them. Dagur then turned up, annoying Astrid further. 'Are you deaf as well as stupid?' 'I don't see much killing going on.'

'Dagur- you're working with Dagur?' 'Not for much longer. Stormfly, single spine shot at Dagur.' Stormfly spun around and knocked Dagur off of his Thunderdrum, with him landing hard on a cliff-face. 'What was all of that?' 'He was working with us. But we used him. Don't pretend you didn't enjoy seeing what I just did to him. Because I know I did!' 'Right- you asked for it. Come on bud- Plasma blast.' Toothless went to give Astrid a plasma blast, but the Bewilderbeast stopped it by roaring, distracting Toothless. 'Remember- all must listen to the alpha.' Toothless wouldn't listen to the bewilderbeast though.

'Sorry, but looks like you imprisoned Drago too hastily- he didn't get to tell you that Toothless has become an Alpha as well. And an Alpha cannot control another Alpha. But as you said, all must listen to the alpha. Toothless, Alpha Roar.' As the two Dragons had a roaring match, Astrid panicked. Right- everyone retreat! This isn't over Hiccup- this is not over yet.' Just as they flew away, everyone was stopped by a cloaked figure atop a Titan Wing Monstrous Nightmare. 'And who might you be? The Joker? Masked Avenger?'

'I might ask you the same thing if I did not know you young Skylar Bludvist.' The surname brought a chill to Hiccup's spine. Bludvist?' Astrid then moved in front. 'Whoever you are, get out of my way.'   
'Astrid, you've grown a lot.' 'Who are you- I don't know you. Do you always chat young girls up like this?' He then took his cloak off. 'No way- could it be?' 'Astrid, is that who I' 'It is... he's back! I never thought I'd see him again.' 

'Hello Astrid, long time no see.' 'If it isn't my very own Uncle- Fearless Finn Hofferson.

End of Chapter 1


	2. Dragon Heart II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the conclusion of the first chapter, a mind-controlled Astrid comes face to face with the man she believed to be dead, Uncle Finn Hofferson. But with Skylar's hold on her brain, will she be able to react accordingly to the revelation? And when the grip of wicked begins to weaken, Hiccup is faced with a terrifying prospect: harming the one who he loves more than anything.

Continued from Dragon Heart

After over a decade, Astrid was finally face-to-face with her uncle. But things were different than they would have been a few days before. 'What are you doing here?' 'My my- you've grown since I last saw you dear Astrid. How have you been?' 'I thought you were dead.' 'Well I'm not, so let's move on shall we?' 'No, how about we don't? How about you dissappear like you did all those years ago.'

'Astrid, it's clear you are being controlled by a dark entity, being manipulated. You need me, I can see that as well as anybody else could.' 'I don't need you anymore. I need nobody!' 'Why are you with them then?' 'That lot down there? They're family, UNLIKE YOU. Stormfly, let's go.'

Astrid and Stormfly then flew off, with the rest of her new clan in hot pursuit. 'Can I ask you something?' 'After you tell me what's going on down there. Who was that guy?' 'Finn Hofferson- my uncle. Looked after me until I was 6, then scared off by a Flightmare. Past 14 years I've been defending his honour saying he was a brave and fearless warrior, but I secretly thought he was no longer alive. Now my question- where we reside, where exactly is it?'

'The Caliban Cliffs. North-Eastern Berk.' 'Thought I recognised it- used to go fishing there in my early teens. Eels kept the dragons away… good times.' 'You're still dedicated to the cause?' A spiteful look then shot across her face. 'Of course- I will always remain dedicated to the cause. Him returning changes nothing. I am the queen. He is nothing. Wonder if Dagur's landed yet.'

'Who cares?' They then landed and Skylar put his hand on her forehead, as she closed her eyes. 'Astrid, Dagur is inconsequential to you now. He is merely another enemy, and should he get in our way, we will destroy him. The cause is what matters.' 'Destroy him… sounds good. Destruction is good, destruction is fair, destruction is natural. I'll cause the destruction of everything and everyone standing in our way.'

'That's right. You are destruction.' 'I am destruction.' 'Nobody can hold you back anymore.' 'Nobody. Anyone who tries will fail. Because the crown of the alpha is mine and mine alone!' Dagur then came up behind us, on a Gronckle. 'Surprise! Ha- you can't get rid of me that easily! Now just give me the crown, and my sister, and we can part on good terms. The little spell's nice, keep her loyal to me and the berserker way.'

Astrid then smiled. 'It would be fun to destroy you myself, but I know something that would be even more fun.' She then looked over at Heather, who still looked empty and devoid of any emotion she once had. 'Heather, take him down.' 'Affirmative. Windshear, annihilate.' Windshear shot fire at Dagur, who backed off wisely. 'I'll be back!'

Skylar: 'Of course you will be. I wouldn't advise it though.' Dagur then flew off, with Stormfly firing spines at him in the process. 'Let's move out- he doesn't matter.' When they got back to the Cliffs, Skylar and Astrid had a chat about what to do next. 'What do you want to do now then?' 'Apart from hail you my liege?'

'Apart from that. What way do you want to go about taking Berk?' 'Destroy the dragon riders. One by one. I want to hear them scream.' 'Sounds good to me. Whatever you want to do.' 'They held me back, they made me weak. I refuse to be a weak girl anymore- I'm a warrior, offspring of Thor, and destroyer of dragon riders. I am Fearless Astrid Hofferson. And unlike my uncle, I am fearless. Speaking of my uncle, I want to deal with him as well… personally.'

'We need to split our resources with targeting the Dragon riders.' 'Me and Heather will go after Snotlout- he will be the first victim. That will distract the rest of them, babysitting him. They'll be sitting ducks.' 'Me and Bonecrusher will stay here at base- Dagur and Drago are both sure to try something.'

Astrid: 'Drago? What's he got to do with it?' 'We didn't part on good terms. I threw him on jail and deposed him. He'll be looking to get his own back eventually.'

'He's a psycho.' 'He is, but we will have an entire battlefield. If Berk gets damaged, so be it. You live here from now on, with us. When we have conquered the dragon riders, Berk will be defenceless against us. Once we've taken over, we will have Berk rebuilt, and statues of us two will go up in the centre of Berk. Then and only then will you live on Berk again. You wouldn't disobey your Liege would you now?'

Astrid then looked over, as if she had indeed been completely brainwashed by the Dragon Heart. 'No my Liege- Astrid is your vessel to control how you wish. I will never disobey.''Good girl.' I then unbraided her hair again, to reaffirm our bonds. 'You know Astrid, we should do this more often.'

'As I say- I am your vessel my liege. My spirit is strong and my mind is yours. Control me how you wish- you are able to do that. I will willingly follow every order to make myself stronger.' 'I just want you to reach your potential- you would never have done that with them. I matter, they do not.'Skylar then gave her a figure that looked like Hiccup. 'Astrid, show your loyalty to me by destroying this figure.' She then took it, and started tearing it limb from limb.

'Can't wait until I do this to the real thing. His Night-Fury will be mine.' 'You're pulsating with evil now.' 'And it feels good to be evil.' 'You're ready to destroy them now.' 'Yes my liege.' She then got up, before kneeling down to me on one knee with her head tucked. 'I shall do whatever you wish for me to do, whatever it may be. I am yours and yours alone, and to die for you would be to die a noble death- my job is to protect you.'

'No- your job is to be the Queen. Heather and Thor's jobs are to serve and protect you.' 'Thank you. I see clearer than I have done for a long time. I'm indebted to you for that.' The next morning, Astrid briefed Thor and Heather. 'Right- today we have work to do. Heather, you and me will target Snotlout of the dragon riders. We pick them off one by one, day by day, starting with him. Thor, you and my liege will protect base. If anything happens here, send Terror Mail.' 'My queen, you can rely on us to protect your honour.' 'Good. Heather, let's go.' 'Understood mistress.'

They then left, leaving me and Thor to defend our territory. About 20 minutes later, Fearless Finn arrived. 'Go away Finn.' I want to see Astrid.' 'Yeah, well she doesn't want to see you.' 'Have you told her?' 'Told her what?' 'The truth about her family.' 'No, I've not told her your dirty little secret. If you don't want her knowing, you'll disappear for good.'

'At least tell me where she is. Maybe I'll tell her myself.' 'Fine- Madman's Gully. She's catching some fish for us to eat. From here, you could be there on your Titan Wing by nightfall. I wouldn't recommend going near her though, she belongs to me now.' 'Thanks… you wierdo. Kidnapping girls like this.' As he turned around, I nudged Bonecrusher. He then got on Meatlug, who was still controlled solely by the Bewilderbeast.

'Meatlug, lava bomb.' Meatlug then spat out a massive bomb of lava which Finn had to dodge, before he flew off. 'Should I go after him?' 'No- he's looking in completely the wrong direction anyway. Going to the Madman's Gully, all he'll find at this time of year is a load of eels or the Flightmare if he's unlucky. He'll end up running away before he finds that Astrid's not there. Now send a Terror Mail to the girls. Warn them that Finn might find them if he realises I lied.'

A while later, Astrid and Heather arrived back, with Snotlout as a prisoner. 'Thought that keeping him hostage would allow us to deal with the rest of them. Besides- I've always wanted to feed him to a Screaming Death.' 'Finn came looking for you earlier. We told him that you'd gone to Madman's Gully.'

'Yeah, I got the Terror Mail thanks. I'm waiting for him to meet me 1-1. So I can destroy him.' 'Sounds good. Another Terror Mail then arrived. 'Who is it?' 'Hiccup- it says "Payback is coming". We need to recruit some more.' 'Snotlout?' 'Good idea.' We then untied Snotlout. 'What are you doing man? When I get up, I'm going to hurt you. Oh- hi Astrid, thanks for kidnapping me, I take it that means you're still in your brainwashed emo phase? Cool to know- not my cup of tea, but'

'Snotlout, how do you fancy joining us- responsibility, a new identity, and the chance to not be in Hiccup's command. And you won't have to think even- a massive weight off of your mind.' 'Yeah, I thought about it, and I decided not to- not my kind of place this. I like warm places with open fires and yak butter parfait. Besides- I don't like what you've become you three.'

'Pity you don't get a choice- it isn't up for debate.' Heather then attached a probe to him.

Snotlout: "Isn't this the thing that made you all brainwashed emo Astrid?' Skylar came over, and pushed the centre of Astrid's neck, making her fall unconcious. 'Astrid belongs to me now Snotbrains. She is my belonging- I can make her do whatever I like.' He then tapped Astrid on the neck twice, and she woke up again.

Just as he did that, Hiccup and Toothless arrived. 'Heather, Bonecrusher, deal with him!' They then flew up into the air on Astrid's orders. Howver, the distraction allowed Snotlout to escape on Hookfang. 'I'll see you later, ok?' Astrid then flew off after him, and Stormfly fired spines in a circle, which clipped the back of Toothless' wing, making him dive towards the ocean.

'I'll get him later.' 'Astrid! Please listen to me.' She then returned, ignoring Hiccup. 'What do we do then?' 'We bide our time. He'll be back- he wants you, remember?' 'Wants me back? Hiccup… I love Hiccup…' This was too close for comfort for Skylar, took her bethrothal amulet off of her, and swung it from side to side, hypnotising Astrid with it.

'Astrid, this is your liege speaking. You are not to remember ever dating Hiccup. Hiccup is nothing to you. You don't remember any good times with Hiccup.' 'I... don't... remember.' 'We have been bethrothed for a long time. This amulet was never his, I gave it to you. It now holds your mind, as do I. Now awaken with your new order.' She then woke up. 'Astrid, we bide our time. When he comes back here, then we attack.'

'His Dragon's an Alpha- Stormfly won't listen to me then.' 'We cover her ears up. If she can't hear the call of the new Alpha, she'll only listen to the current one.' 'I understand.' Heather then came up with something. 'How about the probe?' 'What about it?' 'Put the probe on Stormfly, and the Night Fury's power won't be strong enough. Coupled with the orders from our Alpha.'

'Good thought Heather. If it doesn't work, we should be able to back off at least.'

'So we're going after them tomorrow?' Astrid then came up with a new plan. 'No- we're going after the Dragon Academy.' 'Good call Astrid.' 'That will distract them. Also, they'll struggle for backup then.' 'The Dragon Academy? Is that where they keep all the resources?'

'Yes my liege. There's a B-Team of Riders there, trained by me when I was weak and stupid. They won't fight me. If they do they won't stand a chance- they've never been in battle.' 'Good. Our little security will easily destroy them… won't you?' 'I will not let you down.' 'Anything I can do to serve you is my pleasure ma'am.'

The next morning, we were up before dawn to go to the Dragon Academy. 'Right- here's how it works. When we get there, you're going to give me Stormfly Astrid.' 'Of course my liege- I must never disobey an Alpha. Bonecrusher, you go after the outside and arena of the Academy- make sure you set everything on fire for maximum attention. Heather, you crush everything inside.'

They then flew off for Berk, where they were immediately confronted by Gustav. 'Hey Astrid- we're working hard just like you wanted.' 'Gustav, Hiccup said to destroy the Academy- it's attracting too much attention.' 'He'd never do that. Why do you want the Academy destroying?'

'The Hel Warriors said so.' Astrid then kicked him in the head and my Bewilderbeast took control of his Monsterous Nightmare. We then got to work with Meatlug setting everything on fire, while Windshear destroyed everything inside the Academy. Astrid then spotted something.

'Dragon Riders coming. Everybody, move out." We then left, having completely wrecked the whole academy, just as the Dragon Riders approached. As they flew away, Hiccup shouted for his one true love.

'Astrid! Come back here! I still love you.' 'Still? I've never loved you.' 'Don't you remember our time together? All the flights together?' 'No.' Astrid then flew away, leaving Hiccup devastated, as Skylar flew over. 'What have you done to her?' 'She chose to join, now I've turned her into my puppet. I can make her do whatever I choose. The heir will be a Bludvist, and Astrid will be the mother!'

'Why Astrid though?' 'Because the Bludvists were the true heirs. Until your father killed Graylan Bludvist, my grandfather. And I've chosen Astrid as my puppet because I've always wanted her, but all she was ever interested in was you! Now you've lost her, and she's forced to obey me.'

That evening, under my instructions, Astrid fashioned a chain out of the metal we salvaged from what was left of the Academy we destroyed. 'Twist it through, and we're done- a big new chain.' 'Astrid, you still have the Dragon Heart?' 'Of course.'

'Put the Dragon Heart on the end of the chain. Then put it on.' She then did that, and the Dragon Heart glowed red. 'What does it do anyway?' 'The Dragon Heart gives you the power of being able to imitate any dragon's call. That includes the Bewilderbeast. Not all of the Dragon Heart's power is known- it reveals itself to you. You earn it's trust and respect.'

'So it will make the Bewilderbeast's call stronger than that Night Fury?' 'Depends how powerful the Night Fury's Alpha Roar is.' 'I will protect the Dragon Heart with my life. The Dragon Heart is my life.'

The next day, they flew out at the crack of dawn. 'Right team, today we take Berk. Heather, Bonecrusher, you two distract Hiccup and the Night Fury. We'll go and destroy Berk.' We then flew to Berk. Annoyingly, Finn flew directly into their path just as we left our base.'If you want me to spare your life, move'

'Astrid, what happened here? I heard you were independent and strong.' 'I am! I'm independently telling Stormfly Single Spine Shot!' Stormfly then released a spine which impaled Finn's leg to his dragon. 'I can't move.' 'Good- I'm not done with you yet, but you can wait till later." We then flew past, and as we did, Astrid kicked him in the back of the head. We then flew into Berk, and came face-to-face with Valka.

'What has happened to you Astrid? My boy Hiccup is madly in love with you. I have rolled out the red carpet for you ever since you got back. This is how you repay us?'

Astrid: "I never loved Hiccup. I never dated him like everyone seems to believe. I'm bethrothed to Skylar Bludvist. Stormfly, show her a Spine Circle." Stormfly then showed off her new skill by creating a circle of spines and throwing them at Valka, who dodged.

'Cloudjumper, fight back. This is our only choice to break the sorcery.' Before Cloudjumper got the chance to fight back, she was distracted by a massive explosion. 'That'll be Bonecrusher destroying the armory.' 'What? You're…' 'Destroying Berk. Then it will be rebuilt in our image, with statues of us two in the centre of the village.'

'You're sounding evil now.' 'Because evil is what I am. I was weak until I was shown the truth. I didn't want to see it, but I'm glad I did. So thanks for the compliment- comments like that make my job worthwhile.' Valka then noticed the gem around Astrid's neck. 'The Dragon Heart? I didn't know that existed still.'

'You know about this?' 'Yes- I do. I've read all about it in Berk's scriptures- it's said to be the rarest and most valuable gem in the world. I wasn't aware of it's existence.' 'Looks good on me.' She then started brushing her hair in mid-air.

'Evilness has many effects. Ego is just one of them.' 'Can't help it when I'm so beautifully evil. The thing is though, I can still fight.' She then springboarded off of Stormfly, and kicked Valka in the face, dazing her. We then saw buildings being set on fire in the distance, and we cornered Hiccup outside his home. 'Two on one Hiccup. I look forward to seeing how you escape this one.'

'You'll just have to watch to know. The Auxillary riders then surrounded the Hel Warriors. 'Meet the Berk Auxillarary. Or as we call them, Astrid's Team. Remember? That was me showing that you were important- you meant something.' Astrid then punched Gothi while Skylar threw Spitelout across the ground.

'I remember now. I remember that I should have left when I had the chance. You won't fool me any longer though. We never dated- I never liked you.' 'Astrid, we're' 'I don't want to hear it! I am independent. I am strong, You can't dominate me any longer. Stormfly, I want him dead. Listen to the Alpha- your Alpha.' The Dragon Heart then shone red.

'Hey bud, show them a real Alpha.' Toothless then roared, and multiple dragons flew over. Stormfly didn't react though. 'What is going on here?' 'The Dragon Heart. With this, I am an Alpha. Hey Toothless, you remember killing his Dad? Good job- the old man was useless anyway.' Toothless then bared his teeth at her.

'What have you done to her? This isn't Astrid.' The heir to the Bludvist thronethen stroked the back of her head. 'She has no mind anymore- she belongs to me. This isn't the Astrid you knew, it's my Astrid, my mindless Astrid.' 'Our... everything' 'I wiped her memories of all of your "good times". Destroy the Dragon Heart if you like, but you'll have to hit it hard.'

'Bud, you heard the lunatic- destroy the Dragon Heart.' Toothless blasted the Dragon Heart, and it smashed, pieces embedding in Astrid's chest. 'Good aim bud- let's go Astrid.' Astrid's eyes then turned red. "What in Thor's name is that?" The Dragon Heart then rebuilt itself, with the original pieces still embedded in Astrid's chest.

'Your grave is being dug deeper and deeper. The Dragon Heart can never be destroyed. No matter what happened to it, it always comes back. As for Astrid, that's just her making a decision. She's decided to destroy you.' 'Embrace the hate.' As they started to fly away, Astrid suddenly seemed to come to again, her voice softening like it had been before turning into the Bludvist puppet.

'Hiccup' 'Astrid!' 'I… I don't want this anymore. I can't think for myself! Please Hiccup, help me, I love you!' Just then, the Dragon Heart radiated, and her eyes went completely blank. 'Astrid, I… I challenge you to a fight to the death!' Skylar then came back. 'Astrid, accept the fight.' 'As you command. I accept.'

Next time: Dragon Heart 3: Embrace the Hate


	3. Dragon Heart III: Embrace the Hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astrid and Hiccup go to war, and Berk isn't big enough for the both of them. Meanwhile, Skylar takes desperate actions in order to preserve his plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter in the First Person. I will get round to changing it eventually, but it shouldn't affect the story significantly

Dragon Heart Trinity: Embrace the Hate

Skylar looked on, concerned that his plan was falling apart around him. "You ok there Astrid?" "Fine. Let's do what we came here to do- I want to see Berk burn. Stormfly, Spine Circle." Stormfly then shot a circle of razor-sharp spines into what was left of the Berk Armory, and destroyed it. With them plundering it, they turned to leave, but for Finn stopping them.

'I will not let you leave.' 'How many times- you are nothing to me. Leave.' 'No. I may not have always been there for you Astrid' 'You created this- you were never there. You abandoned me, and now I'm abandoning you. So you know just how that feels.'

'Two wrongs don't make a right. Please, hear me out.' 'What I do is just and fair. One day everyone will understand that.' Skylar tried to force through again, but for the Titan Wing providing the dragon equivalent of a roadblock. 'Good- now we can talk. Why are you doing this Astrid- once you've destroyed Berk and everyone on it, what are you going to do?'

'It will be rebuilt. Rebuilt in our imagination. Statues of us will be there- we deserve it. Berk will be restored to it's former glory, we were once a proud nation.' 'Is that it?' 'When we rule over it, then people can push me around. I spent years trying to be nice to everyone, never getting anywhere. Now I get my own way. Because I am a queen.'

During this, the Auxiliary riders had created a prison of sorts, trapping the riders with Finn. 'You...' 'You will not leave. I'm sorry about this Astrid, but actions have consequences. And the consequences for yours are severe. Titan, flame them.' 'Stormfly, fire spines at his eyes.' Stormfly then fired spines right into the eyes of Finn's Dragon, stopping it from seeing.

'Let's do this then. Leave everyone else out of it- just you and me Finn.''You've suddenly opened up.' 'I'm going to prove that Astrid needs nobody, especially you. Because we both know the truth that he hid for nearly 15 years. A secret which I will expose if you do not leave us alone immediately.' 'How are you going to do that? How will you prove a lie to Astrid?;

'Because I have my own Dragon that only me and Astrid know about. Meet Rellik the Bewilderbeast.' Rellik then flew past and Skylar jumped onto him. 'How…' 'I am more dangerous than you could ever imagine.'

'Meaning?' 'I am Skylar Bludvist, son of Drago Bludvist. But Drago became weak. So I locked him up.' 'Why target Astrid?' 'She never got what she deserved, what she was owe - such a strong warrior. So I made her a queen. Admittedly it did take a bit of manipulation. But we got there in the end.' 'And I'm glad you did.'

'Astrid' 'Don't you mean "my liege"? I am royalty now. I paid my dues. Now out of our way. Stormfly, attack.' Stormfly then fired a spine at Finn's neck, knocking him off of his dragon, allowing Rellik to take control of his dragon. His dragon then created a forest fire, scaring all of the Auxiliary Guard off.

We then stopped in the centre of town and Astrid spoke. "Everyone, your attention. I hereby declare myself, Astrid Hofferson, Chieftain of Berk. The old chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III has been defeated in battle and banished from Berk. Therefore, I am now Chieftain. You will refer to me as Queen Astrid.'

Snotlout then stepped forward to rebel, standing stoutly and pridefully. 'You can stop the act now Astrid.' 'What act cretin?' 'Sorry, what did you just call me?' 'Cretin.' 'What's one of those?' 'It means you are nothing compared to me.'

'Yeah… anyway, you're not Chieftain. You know that as well as I do.' 'You fancy challenging me?' 'Yeah- sure. If Hiccup's not going to defend Berk, I'll have to do it. I always said I was braver than him.' Everyone stared as he said that. 'What, I was just saying!'

Stormfly and Hookfang then squared up to each other. 'They want to fight Snotlout. Question is, do you?' 'Fight they will unless you regain sense.' The people of Berk then started cheering for Snotlout as Valka came out to make the announcement.

'This is a fight to the death to crown Chieftain of Berk. The only ways to be victorious are when one dragon or rider is dead, or if one rider surrenders. Riders, Dragons, begin.' 'To the death? Isn't that a bit extreme?' 'Stormfly, attack.'

Immediately, Stormfly shot a spine towards Hookfang's chest, but Hookfang simply caught it in it's mouth, before spitting it back out again. 'You'll have to do better than that. Hookfang, flame her.' 'Stormfly, split.' Astrid then slid off of Stormfly, and both dodged the flames (Astrid sliding under them and Stormfly doing a barrel roll straight over the top).

'Way too basic.' 'Have to think of' 'Stormfly, spine shot the air.' Stormfly then shot a bunch of spines into the sky. 'What was' The spines then came down, pinning Hookfang's wings to the ground. 'Hey- no fair.'

'This is a fight to the death. And you're not going to live. You have one chance of survival- surrender and grovel at my feet. Until then, your dragon will be beaten senseless.' 'No.' 'Ok, suit yourself. Hookfang's a sitting dragon now. Stormfly, fire at him.' Showing an even more evil side now, Stormfly started shooting continuously at Hookfang, with nothing anyone could do about it. After about 10 minutes of this, with Hookfang severely injured, Snotlout got off and stood in front of Hookfang.

'Remember Astrid- this is who you were. You were kind and protective and caring. Strong yes, but you had a heart. So I'm going to take this beating as a man, as a Viking! But you are not touching Hookfang!' 'Stormfly, stop.' 'You remembered?' 'No. Stormfly, claw away at Snotlout. Leave nothing!'

'What happened Astrid? You were a Viking of honour, fought the right way and didn't take it too far. Now you're' 'A queen? Powerful?' 'Just a queen bitch more like. Face facts- you're just a puppet now, and once that weirdo you're with gets bored of you, you're just going to be discarded like everybody else.'

'Nonsense. I'm the one he was always searching for.' Hiccup then came back. 'Looks like I got back just in time.' 'What are you doing back here?' 'If it's the only way for you to recover from your spell, I challenge you to a fight to the death. You win, you're the Chieftain of Berk.'

'Fine. In that case, if you win then myself, my liege, Bonecrusher and Heather will leave Berk and never return. You will be Chieftain once again, unchallenged Saint Hiccup of lameness.' Stormfly and Toothless then started circling each other.

'She's infected as well.' 'They say that the will of a Dragon matches the will of their rider. Stormfly and I have come to an agreement- we both have only hatred in our hearts now.' 'The real Astrid's still in there. I can see her, the good Astrid.'

'The good Astrid is gone- she's dead. You've got me only now.' 'The good little girl that was caught has been brainwashed by the Bewilderbeast. She was trapped. But she was turned evil- the good Astrid you knew is gone forever. Now accept her challenge or leave Berk.' 'I don't want to get rid of you.'

'If you win, I have no reason to stay. If you don't accept, then by the constitution of Berk, I automatically become Chieftain. You have 10 minutes. Either way, you'll lose me forever.' Hiccup just looked at the devastation around him and made his decision.

'Put the fire out in the armoury, and I'll fight you. But this is just you and me. Nobody else is involved, nobody gets hurt. Mum, get Snotlout medical attention.' 'Of course. Just… be safe Hiccup.' 'I will be. I will do what it takes to protect my home.'

'Heather, put the fire out.' 'Understood.' Heather then started with the water, while the riders circled each other. 'Right- a deal's a deal.' 'Fight to the death. There is no other way.' 'Fine- whatever it takes. I'm going to take Berk back.'

'Once we win, myself and my liege will watch Berk be destroyed and rebuilt in our image, our honour, how we want it.' Stormfly and Toothless then went at it without their riders, with Toothless just about getting the upper hand after catching Stormfly's tail with a blast.

'Stormfly, let's end them quick.' 'Toothless, let's go bud.' The two dragons then flew up into the air, with the Bludvist following to observe. 'What are you doing here- this is between us.' 'I'm an observer. Astrid doesn't need me, she's better than you anyway.' 'What are you willing to bet on it?' 'Meaning?'

'Astrid's returned to me if she falls in battle.' Skylar laughed the notion of releasing his power off. 'Hahaha not a chance. That's against Astrid's will.' 'She has no will thanks to you.' Stormfly then blinded Toothless with a spine to the eye. 'Woah, Hang on Toothless.'

'Stormfly, all in.' Stormfly and Astrid then went after Hiccup, with Stormfly firing at him, and Astrid narrowly missing him with a kick. Toothless then unleashed a massive plasma blast, knocking Stormfly down to the ground.

Valka then stepped in as an official. 'As is customary, Stormfly will be given to the count of 100 seconds to get back up. If she does not, Astrid is deemed to have forfeited.' The time then started ticking. At 98, Stormfly suddenly flew up into the sky, before landing in pain. 'Match on.'

'This is enough Astrid.' 'As long as Stormfly has the will to fight, so do I. Give me a sign girl.' Stormfly then roared back into life. 'Seems your luck is out today Hiccup.' Bonecrusher and Heather then appeared around Hiccup. 'You never said it had to be 1-1. Toothless, embrace the hate.'

Toothless then started flying erratically. 'You can't control an alpha.' 'Who said anything about that? I'm encouraging Toothless to release his dark side. Stormfly, do your thing.'

'My thing is winning. Toothless, Plasma Blast.' Toothless then blasted the ground with a Plasma Blast, and Stormfly started firing at Hiccup's shoulder armour. 'You're not going to get through that.' Stormfly then shot a single spine down Hiccup's throat, impeding his breathing and stopping him from speaking.

'Want to give up? Tap once for yes, twice for no.' Hiccup then tapped twice. 'Fine. Stormfly, keep it up girl.' Stormfly then fired a barrage of spines, and Meatlug spewed lava, setting them on fire, and they hit Hiccup and Toothless directly, making them crash head-on into the side of the armoury. When Astrid got down there, Hiccup and Toothless weren't moving. "Start the count. If he can't get up in 100 seconds, I win." 90 seconds came and went, and Hiccup still wasn't moving much.

Hiccup: 'I... am not giving up. Not on Toothless, not on anyone.' He then got up, and immediately collapsed again. Astrid then stood above him.

Astrid: "This... is how you made me feel. All those times.' As she said that, he battled back up, buoyed by the masses cheering him, and they both flew off again. After tight fighting, they withdrew away from each other one last time. 'Stormfly, EXTERMINATE! SPINE CANNON!' 'Toothless, PLASMA FLARE!'

Toothless unleashed a mega-powered plasma blast using all his energy, while Stormfly unleashed hundreds of spines, in quick succession. When the dust settled, Hiccup was on the ground, sprawled out, while his foe was stood, head down and limbs floppy. Astrid then collapsed as well, both exhausted by their efforts.

'What happens now?' Skylar's reply was calm and authoritative. 'We wait. They both face the 100 count.' The 100 count then began and ended without either of them having moved a muscle. Valka then made an announcement.

'Neither combatant has met the 100 count. Therefore, the first one to get back up onto two feet is the winner.' The tension mounted as neither of them were looking like getting back up again. 'Should we step in?'

'Nobody will step in. This will be a fight with honour.' After a long delay of nearly half an hour, one of them stood up. 'Your winner and Chieftain of Berk- Hiccup.' Hiccup stood up gingerly, and walked over to Astrid, who was on her knees.

'You fought well- now let's make up.' 'No- I meant what I told you. I lost.' She then got up, bruised and battered 'Sorry Stormfly, I let you down." She then knelt down in front of me. 'My liege, I failed you.' 'You didn't Astrid. Let's go.' We then went to leave, but Finn blocked out way.

'This is not right. You cannot take Astrid away from her home.' 'This is no longer my home.' 'You were always going to lose something. This is what you chose to lose. Toothless, good fight.' Just as we turned to leave, Toothless came over, and roared at us. 'I think... he's requesting to join us.' Toothless then bowed to Rellik, before bowing to Astrid. 'Let's go then.' Toothless was then put under Rellik's spell as Hiccup watched on. He then mindlessly flew off with us, the Night Fury no longer thinking for himself.


	4. Dragon Heart IV: A Date with Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Down but not out, Astrid manages to obtain one last chance to take the throne of Berk, as Hiccup gets closer to the truth regarding the loss of his love. And as her behaviour becomes more unpredictable, Skylar is forced to take action, and a hero of Berk's has to sacrifice everything for their island and the future of their descendants.

Dragon Heart IV: A Date with Destiny

Astrid slumped unconscious as they flew away, leaving Skylar to pull her off of Stormfly, and onto his Dragon. As she breathed slowly, Skylar put his hand on her battered back. 'There will be more opportunities. You're hurt though- you need to rest up first.'

As they reached Dragon Edge, Skylar gave the signal to stop. 'Astrid needs to rest. We claim this island as a temporary home. Heather, I want you to get something for Astrid to rest her head on.' 'For my queen, only the best.'

Several hours later

With the briefest of flickers, the defeated queen opened her eyes, badly injured. As she sat up, she cried out in pain. 'My arm- I can't… move it. What's happened?' As Heather then rolled up her sleeve, the injuries started to become apparent. She had massive bruising of her right arm, as well as a broken right shoulder from Toothless. She also had 2 of Stormfly's spines lodged in the broken shoulder, and burns on her back from the Night Fury.

Thor then knelt to her. 'My queen, do you have memory?' 'I vaguely remember some stuff, my memory's kinda hazy. I remember… STORMFLY! Where's Stormfly?' The Nadder then walked up to Astrid, and nudged her, leading to a one-armed hug back. 'I'm glad you're safe girl.'

Skylar then walked in. 'Astrid, you're awake.' 'My arm – what's wrong with it?' 'We brought a doctor in, your injuries are quite severe. Your entire arm is in horrible shape. You may be able to move it, but we need to remove the spines first. I've been out to find some herbs – they can be a great pain relief.'

As the greenery was moved towards her, the blonde queen turned away. 'If you're going to take them out, just do it.' 'Not without reliving your pain.' This made her quite cross. 'Do it or when I become chief of Berk I'll hang you off of the pillars of the town hall!' 'Astrid' 'If I'm going to be a queen I'm doing it the right way. My way. I have to be tough enough in the face of pain. It's not a war unless you have a scar.'

Skylar then nodded to Thor, who lumbered over, and with one great heave, pulled the thorns from Astrid's shoulder, making her roar. She then started moving her shoulder gingerly, and stood up. 'Right, let's go.' 'Go where?' 'Before I challenge Hiccup again, I have to improve. I have to be stronger physically and mentally. All of you may come if you wish.'

Astrid then left, followed only by Heather. As they mounted their dragons, Toothless walked over, eyes narrowed. Astrid stroked his head, and smiled at him. 'We need you to stay here and protect the base Toothless.' He lowered his head, and then slunk off, as Astrid and Heather flew away.

An hour later

As the time passed silently, Fearless Finn arrived. He stepped off his Dragon, but looked rather conflicted. Straight away he was confronted by Thor, along with two armed guards. Skylar then strode over to him.

'Finn, what brings you here?' 'I came to see my niece… not the organ grinder.' 'Not a nice way to talk to me that. I have the upper hand here because you are trespassing.' 'Au contraire my oldest friend, I have the advantage, for you will never live with yourself should you not find out what I came for.'

Skylar then turned away and chuckled. 'I think I would. You see, I have nearly everything I want. All that's left is Berk itself.' 'I know that isn't true. You want more than that. You lust for the same power that your father nearly wielded.'

'Do not compare me to he. Drago is a tyrannical bloodthirsty psycho.' 'What makes you different?' 'I am a creator. I want to create a new society, a new Berk.' 'A new Berk where you will rule.'

'Hiccup does not deserve to be Chief. He didn't invent talking to Dragons, he's only there because of a long-lost battle not involving me. If I had been there we would still be on the throne.'

'And Astrid?' 'She started off as a means to an end but I'm quite enjoying being with her. Turns out when you kidnap someone you might actually develop feelings for them. She will still rule however as my puppet. I will be the one true ruler.'

'Why not leave her out of it then?' 'Because Berk's constitution disallows any non-resident of the island from challenging. Besides, Astrid is queen material.' 'She is the one true queen.' 'Once we have taken over, I turn the probe up to maximum, and she's all mine.'

Just then, Astrid returned. 'Why are you here?' 'Astrid, I only wish to talk.' 'Well I don't want to talk.' Finn then put his axe down in front of her. 'I am unarmed.' 'You think I care about that?' 'What are you going to do – attack me?'

'No. I would never attack an unarmed opponent like that.' Finn then shook his head. 'He may be pulling your strings, but there is good in you still.' 'Good? He rescued me from a life of being Number 2.'

Finn then pushed the guards away, and walked up to her. 'You wished to know why I came here?' 'Yes. Yes I did.' He then patted his dragon on it's head. 'The law of the Caliban tribe states that in order for you to lead them into battle, you must take the life of another.'

Astrid shook her head. 'It's a barbaric law. You should always go into war aiming to take prisoners rather than to kill.' Skylar then walked up to her. 'The laws are very clear Astrid. These are not laws I particularly agree with, however they are not laws which I am able to overturn. The customs'

By now Astrid had tears in her eyes. 'Screw your stupid customs! I'm not killing for the sake of it.' 'It is not a choice Astrid.' 'Would you do it? Would you kill just because?' 'Yes, only for our customs, however. I would take little pleasure in such an act of barbarity. This has been a custom for hundreds of years in our clans. If you wish to become Berk's one true leader, this is the only way.'

Finn then opened himself up to her, white moustache reflecting the midday sun. 'Astrid, if you must kill to become whole, take me.' 'Why you?' 'I have lead an excellent life. A life full of mystery and wonder. I shall enter Valhalla satisfied with my work.'

'I want to know something.' 'Certainly.' 'Back then, all those years ago, why did you leave? I believed you were dead.' 'You were a young lass Astrid, barely five. While your parents were working to provide for you, I looked after you. One day, the Flightmare came upon you. I could not stand by and let it hurt you.'

'So you saved me?' 'Indeed, you could call it that. I hit that dragon as hard as I could with my greatest axe, and it barely flinched, freezing me solid with it's breath. When I thawed out, I had no idea where you were. But my reputation was sullied. Everyone thought I was a coward, a traitor'

'Frozen Finn Hofferson they called you. Every year. For days and weeks on end. I had to learn to look after myself because nobody else ever would.' 'That is what they called me is it? Everyone considered me frozen in fear. I decided to leave in order for you to not be associated, with the hope that one day, you too would be brave enough to find the Flightmare, and defeat it for me. I asked your parents to lie to you, tell you that I was killed in battle by that almighty beast, make you the greatest warrior you could be.' I am a warrior. But not because of you. Because the true warrior doesn't look for vengeance via murder. They try and resolve it with other means.'

'Your parents did not want to lie to you. But I insisted that you would not be associated with my negativity then.' 'Well you were wrong. I had no friends. People would never be seen with the relative of the frozen one. Nobody would ever take me seriously. So I had to take action. I had to be the meanest Viking I could be. But I changed.'

'Hiccup changed you?' 'No, I changed myself. Because I learnt to be happy for who I was. I learned acceptance.' 'And now you wish to go back to your old self?' 'Hiccup is a fantastic leader. But he has one weakness. He lets his heart get in the way of business.'

Astrid then looked at her axe, shocked, and started sweating. '...and I'm doing the same thing right now.' As Skylar watched on, Astrid wrestled with her conscience. 'I… I understand. I have one last question.' 'Certainly.' 'Did… did you ever miss me? When you left Berk, did you ever wonder how I was?'

'I did. I wondered how you were progressing every day. But I knew that as long as you followed your heart you would succeed. And once you obtained your Dragon, I knew that as sure as night turns to day, you would be safe. Astrid, you have to understand – I did what I did' Finn failed to finish his sentence, as his niece impaled an axe within his chest, killing him on the spot.

Astrid then knelt over him, crying. 'Why? Why did it have to come to this? We should not fight to kill, we should fight purely for victory and honour.' She then tore off a long piece of cloth from her belt. 'What are you doing?'

She then looked at Skylar, eyes enraged. 'Finn is a hero of Berk. He deserves a noble burial. I will wrap his body up and send it home to Berk. There he will get the full regalia.' 'And so he should. As for you though, you have a tribe to rule right now.' Astrid ignored Skylar, instead wrapping her Uncle's body in the fabric, before attatching a wire to his body.

She then touched the Dragon Heart, before touching Finn's Dragon with the same hand. 'Take the body of your former master, return it to Berk. Ensure the letter does not get lost. If the letter is read, return here immediately. We will repurpose you.' Finn's body was then lifted up, and the Nightmare flew off.

On Berk

As life started to return to normal on Berk, Hiccup was still pacing, as Valka comforted him. 'I just don't understand how anybody could do this. I mean wanting to take over Berk is one thing. But Astrid? This is not her. Something must be controlling her, possessing her. But what could give that kind of power?'

'This is not your fault my dear Hiccup. This is not your fault. Whatever has corrupted Astrid, you can restore her back to normal. There is always a way.' 'How?' 'I wish I could tell you that. All I do know is that there is always a way.'

Hiccup then looked up, just as the Nightmare landed. As it landed, Valka looked at the baggage. 'I wonder what this is? Supplies perhaps?' 'No, we haven't ordered any supplies recently.'

Valka then peeled back the fabric just slightly, and gasped in horror, stumbling back. 'My dear Hiccup, please avert your eyes.' Instead, the Chief peeled back the fabric himself. 'Astrid what have you done?' He then noticed the letter underneath his body, and passed it to Valka, who read it aloud.

'Dear Chief Hiccup Haddock of Berk. You will see here the body of Fearless Finn Hofferson. He was defeated by myself in battle, after he held off a mighty army. He perished in battle, a hero. As such he deserves a hero's burial. Please understand however, that this is the last time I will write so informally.'

'I now have my own tribe, and before the moon has passed for the 7th time, I will challenge you again for the throne of Berk. Understand that you cannot "save" me – I don't need saving. If I fail to claim Berk from you this time, I will leave and never return. You are welcome to meet my tribe upon the Caliban Cliffs, but only if it is to inform me that you have accepted my challenge. Sincerely, Chief Astrid Hofferson of Caliban.'

Hiccup shook his head as he read this. 'Astrid… I will get you back.' He then turned to his mother. 'Arrange a meeting of everyone in the town hall. I will announce the news there.' 'And then?' 'I intend on visiting Astrid. Tomorrow.'

Back in the cliffs

With Astrid still behaving unpredictably, Skylar was speaking to Heather. 'I've never seen our queen like this.' 'That is true. There is but one thing I can do to solve it. Understand your first loyalty is not to Astrid, but to me.'

Heather knelt to him. 'Of course.' 'Once Astrid has taken over Berk, I will turn her probe up to maximum. She won't be able to resist the hypnotic waves radiating throughout her brain – within minutes, she will be completely brainwashed. Then she will be a puppet ruler under my command.'

'If that is the only way.' 'It is.' 'I understand. I will not breathe a word of this to anybody.' 'I should think not. This is the only way that we may succeed now. Astrid has grown weak through the actions of her uncle. And she will grow strong again through us.'

On Berk

All the villagers were stood in the town hall when Hiccup walked in, wearing a black robe, not talking to anybody as he walked down the hall to the front, where he stood, elevated from everyone else.

'Thank you for coming. I have an announcement to make, one that I never thought I would have to make. Today marked the death of a noble warrior, one who fought for the safety of these shores on so many occassions. His name… is Fearless Finn Hofferson.'

As everyone looked on stunned and people started talking, Hiccup continued. 'He was killed in a fierce battle with… Astrid Hofferson.' 'What are you doing about it?' A voice eminated from the crowd. Hiccup looked up at the roof for a moment, and then looked back at the villagers.

'I am attending a summit with Astrid tomorrow. And I will inform her that we will never stop pursuing her and her army until we have justice for Finn. As for his body, we have received it, and I intend on giving Finn the warrior's farewell like he deserves. The funeral will be in 5 moons' time, at the crack of dawn. Everyone who wishes to attend, be at the docks by dawn. Do we have any questions?'

The first question came from Spitelout. 'Does all this mean that we are having another battle for the leadership of Berk?' 'Yes Spitelout, yes it does. And the rules are the same as last time – if Astrid wins, she will become Chief. But I assure you, she will never win.'

Another villager then came up with a question. 'Will we be able to view Finn's body before his funeral?' 'Yes, I have spoken to Astrid's parents, and they will allow us to have Finn's body in the back of their house for anybody to visit in the next three days.'

After the questions ended, Hiccup made another announcement. 'Now I will be attending a summit with Astrid tomorrow like I have already mentioned. As such, Valka will be in charge here while I am away. I will have some advisors with me, so do not worry about my safety, I will be gone most of the day. Thank you for listening to me.'

In the cliffs that evening

After Astrid went to sleep, Heather and Skylar were still awake. 'So what do you require from me?' 'Sneak up behind Astrid, but don't wake her. Find her coat – in it, you will find a probe, like the one you have. Use the needle to attach the probe to her neck, and turn the scale up from 2 to 6. Her mind should then be suitably clouded. Then leave without disturbing her. Do you understand?' 'Yes my liege.'

Heather then entered Astrid's sleeping quarters, and carefully edged around her axe, and passed her long hair which was down and spread out, almost standing on her hair, before finding her coat.

Without hesitation, she gently turned the coat over, and slipped her hand into the pocket, retrieving the probe. After flicking the needle up, the brainwashed berserker inserted the probe into the back of Astrid's neck, before turning up the scale to 7 instead of 6, making Astrid scowl in her sleep, before doing a cartwheel to get past the queen's hair again, and navigated her way to the exit.

Next time: What effect will the plotting have as Astrid and Hiccup face off one last time in Dragon Heart V: The Final Battle


	5. Dragon Heart V: The Final Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The promised time draws near, and the summit provides Hiccup with an insight into the balance of power in the Caliban Cliffs. And as the final battle approaches, Astrid and Hiccup go to war again, not knowing that with what Skylar has planned, the result may not be the end of the story.

Dragon Heart V: The Final Battle

The next morning, Astrid was awake early, as Skylar found her standing on the edge of one of the cliffs, watching the world go by. 'Good morning.' She looked at him with a clouded look in her eyes. 'About yesterday. I was weak.' 'You were sensitive. I understand it.' 'Even so, I showed weakness.' 'Well we can't afford for you to show that again. Your loyalty has to be to us and us only.' 'To regain your confidence, I would appreciate it if I could hold the conference with Hiccup alone today.' 'If that is what you want, then that is what you will get. Because we are together forever.' 'Together forever.'

On Berk

Hiccup was also awake early, and was loading up a bag, ready for the trip to the cliffs. Valka was by his side, concerned for his safety. 'I take it you have chosen suitable advisors?' 'I have. I have several of our smartest residents with me. I also have Spitelout.' 'Spitelout? But why him?' 'It's one thing having good advisors with me. But something tells me that she's not going to come quietly. So what if she attacks? I need somebody who can fight with me.' At this moment, Eret approached, and knelt to Hiccup. 'I wish to offer my services to assist you today my sire.' Hiccup then stood back. 'Whoa whoa whoa there, slow down Eret – you're getting just a little creepy now.' 'Too much?' 'Way way too much.'

He then stood up. 'Nonetheless, I want to offer my help today. Allow me to come with you, I will guarantee your protection.' 'Eret, I appreciate your help. But your place is here. You know that with whatever's going with Astrid, she won't think twice about sending her forces to attack Berk while I'm gone. I need you and Snotlout and the twins to protect Berk, because I can't.' 'I understand. Would you like me to inform them?' 'I already have thank you. I'll hopefully be back before sundown.' 'I will await your return.' 'Thanks Eret. Right gang, let's go.' As everyone flew off, Valka and Eret watched on. 'I hope he knows what he's doing.' 'Same here.'

In the cliffs

As Heather walked around working, she saw Skylar. 'Did the job work?' 'It looks so. She no longer is weak. But our plan must continue. We cannot take the chance that she won't take the final step.' 'And then' 'And then we will take over Berk and I will rule over it as my new empire. Astrid will be the figurehead, but I will be the one making all the decisions.' 'We will rule as an empire.' 'Indeed we will. You and Bonecrusher just need to keep following me.' 'What effect would it have on Astrid?' 'Her mind will be an absolute wreck. She will try and resist, yes, but it will only cause her more pain. She won't be able to succeed, she will fall in line. I don't want to do it this way, but I have no choice.'

Their conversation was then interrupted by a guard walking in. 'Sire, your guest is here.' 'Right on time. Heather, please go and meet our guest, and escort him to our banquet hall. I will ensure that our queen is ready' 'Of course.' As Hiccup waited, Heather greeted him. 'Heather.' 'Ah, Mr. Haddock. Right this way.' As they walked, Hiccup tried to make small talk. 'So… Heather. What's it like being brainwashed?' 'I'm only loyal to Queen Astrid and King Skylar. If that means being influenced, then so be it.' 'You used to be independent.' 'I used to have no purpose either. But then I was found, I was saved and I was given a purpose. My life has meaning now.' 'How can your life have meaning when all you're doing is serving some… some dead-leg.' Heather then threatened him with a short axe. 'I said I'd meet you. I said nothing about keeping you safe. I agreed to give up my life for the service of Queen Astrid and King Skylar, and if you had any sense, you would do the same.' She then turned to the left, down a narrow corridor. 'This way.'

As Hiccup walked down the confined passage, he passed pictures on the wall of all the past leaders of the Caliban tribe. He couldn't help but notice however, that one picture had been removed; that of Drago Bludvist. There was also no picture of Astrid hung up. 'I see you are a fan of our decorating.' 'Uh yes, yes, big big fan me.' 'Good. The picture of our Queen will soon be hung upon that wall for all eternity.' 'Of course it will.' Soon enough, they came to a large oak door, and Heather stood aside. 'Are you not… escorting me?' 'Our Queen has requested that her conference with you be held in private. You may open the door yourself.'

As Hiccup opened the grand door, he got a surprise. Sat at the other end of the table was Astrid, but her eyes were emotionless, she was wearing a grand purple robe, and her usual blonde braid was nowhere to be seen; her hair was instead tucked behind her in a tight braided bun. She spoke plainly and with scorn. 'You may sit.' Once sat, Hiccup started negotiating. 'I don't want a war with you Astrid.' The Caliban Queen responded with imitation. 'Let me guess - "you want the old Astrid back"? Well there's no chance of that. I pledged my full allegiance to my new tribe, and you cannot change that.' 'Fine, there's no changing your mind.' 'It's about time you realised. I am here to arrange my challenge for the crown of Berk.'

'Well as you know, I am not going to accept without laying out my terms.' 'You make your demands first.' 'Thanks.' 'I wasn't being nice.' 'Firstly, this is the last time you challenge my leadership.' 'It's the last time I will need.' 'Secondly, I want a guarantee that your other people won't get involved in the fight in any kind of way. In other words, everyone else stays here.' 'They won't get involved. But I am bringing them with me.' 'Finally, I want to double the stakes. If I'm going to put the safety of Berk on the line, I want you to put your crown on the table as well. Should I win, I become Chieftain here. So what do you think of my demands?' 'It's a deal. In four days, at high sun, I will be there. I would apologise, but I'm not sorry at all.' 'What happened to you?' 'I didn't come here for a social.' 'I mean, look at you. You're hiding behind people who you call your friends? What kind of leader… no, what kind of person does that make you? You think you look brave, but all you're doing is looking like a coward.'

Astrid's emotions briefly stirred, but she kept composed. 'Who are you to criticise my leadership? The amount of times Berk has come under attack since your father died. Why is that? Is it because people hate dragons? Or is it because unlike your father, you have no backbone? You can't make the hard decisions, you are too busy trying to be everybody's friend. It makes you popular as a leader. Yet inept.' 'I would rather fail as a fair and honest leader than succeed at being a tyrant. What kind of example does it set when you have to take shortcuts to win and then proceed to brutalise your own people for refusing to follow your ideals.' 'Like you've never banished people for not following your philosophy.' 'Only if they were a danger to Berk.' 'More like if they were a danger to you and your plans. You're a danger to your own self. Because one day, someone's going to come who wants more than just to take a few dragons, and you could never defend your people. You're weak.'

'You keep talking about being weak Astrid. But am I really the weak one? I mean, no offence, but you kinda gave up on yourself when you let somebody else run your life. In my book, giving up on yourself the moment someone tells you to, that's pretty weak.' 'You could never understand. It's easy when you're born into a family of reputation, a family of honour. You've always known that one day you will be Chieftain. You spent your whole life being prepared for that. And then when you became Chieftain, you had me. You had your lovely little trophy wife.' 'Astrid that's not what I' 'Let me finish. You spent your whole life being told that the safety of your home and your family was the most important thing in the world. That you had to fight off anybody who would disagree. And when you had me, I thought you'd look after me like you were taught.'

Distraught, Hiccup went on the defensive. 'I tried to.' 'Why did I feel like second prize then? I thought that you'd delegate something to me while you were off brokering trade or exploring new worlds. Instead I was always overlooked. You'd give everyone else a chance, but meanwhile, I was just your bit on the side. I didn't know what I wanted. And then he came, he understood, he knew what I wanted.' 'He told you what you wanted.' 'No, he understood. You see, I was not controlled initially. Rather, I let him. He told me his plan, he showed me that he understood. It's not about him it's about me. I want to be chief, I can be better than you, I can be better than your father, I just need the chance. And to get the chance, I must defeat you.'

'Well I'm sorry, but I'm not giving you the chance. This new you, the new Astrid, the Astrid of the Caliban Cliffs, I can't let her anywhere near the throne of Berk. And I'll do whatever I have to in order to protect my people.' 'Same here. I can't let the people who rely on me be made weak by the likes of you. I will have the contract written up for you and send it via courier. You may leave now. Heather.' Heather walked into the hall, and walked straight past Hiccup without even acknowledging him, before kneeling to Astrid. 'My liege.' 'Please will you escort our guest out of the building before I bury a very large mace into his thick skull.' 'Of course.'

As Hiccup started to leave, he turned back around to Astrid. 'The next time we meet, I'm going to throw everything I have at you. I'm sorry, but you've brought this upon yourself.' 'If you don't throw your best at me, I WILL KILL YOU.' 'Just try it. Because you can never defeat me.' After he'd left, she stared on. 'It will all work out for the best.' 'He's too stupid to know when he's outmatched.' 'You will defeat him. It is what is required.' 'That is correct.' 'I know. Have our best scribe write out the contract and send it to Berk.' 'It will be arranged.'

Back on Berk

That evening, just past nightfall, Hiccup returned to the island. 'The contract will be arriving in the next day or so – we fight in four moons.' 'She didn't come round then? These probes must be extremely powerful.' 'I need to get her separated from it. But how? He'll make sure that I can't, and even if he doesn't, she's too quick.' 'I know it isn't the kind of leader you are Hiccup, but perhaps if he is the problem then you stop him from becoming a problem.' 'He became a problem the day he touched her.' 'Take him out. We can send a crack team, and perhaps, just perhaps, you won't have to fight.'

He then looked at her sternly. 'No, we have to fight. Too much has happened to avoid that now. I have to defeat Astrid. Only then can I free her. I know she's still in there. Because I saw her.' His mother was stunned at the revelation. 'You did?' 'She asked me, begged me to do what I had to. So that's exactly what I'm going to do – I'm going to do whatever I have to in order to free her.' 'How will you do that without Toothless though?' Hiccup just looked at her, a more confident look in his eyes. 'Toothless didn't betray me. He is challenging me. And once I accept his challenge, then he'll fight by my side again.'

In the Cliffs, the day before the final fight

A grand ceremony was taking place in the Cliffs, with Skylar making an announcement. 'For too long our tribe has been surviving on the scraps of what others leave behind, living in obscurity. Well tomorrow that will change, tomorrow we will once again be rulers of the archipelago. Tonight we celebrate our new hero. Tonight we will raise our banners, and commemorate our new commander – Astrid Hofferson.' Astrid then walked up to the front. 'Tonight is the calm before the storm. Tonight is the last night that it stays the same, for tomorrow it changes. I guarantee one thing and one thing only: victory! So rest for tonight, because tomorrow, we take what is ours.' The painting of Astrid was then revealed from behind a red cloth, before being hung up where Drago's picture once stood. She looked at the picture, proud. Yet there was one unmistakable thought she couldn't shake – that of not being at home, not truly being loved, not being important.

The day of the fight

Hiccup was up early for the fight, organising his troops. 'Once Astrid is in the battleground, I want nobody interfering. Understand?' Everyone nodded. 'If any of her tribe try to interfere, you have permission to shoot to kill.' Snotlout seemed surprised at this. 'Are you sure this is the same Hiccup that we all know?' 'It's the same me Snotlout. If they win, then it's not just Astrid's mind and sanity which is at risk, it's all our lives, and the lives of everyone on Berk. I don't know what they would do to this island. And I don't intend on finding out. Either way, this has to end, now.' At this point, he understood, and chest out, offered Hiccup a handshake. 'If this goes wrong, I want you to know, I'm proud to call you my Chief.' 'Wow Snotlout, that's… by far the nicest thing you've ever said to me.' 'I'm sure you had lots of options to choose from for that.' 'Yeah, of course I did.'

In the cliffs Astrid was gearing her tribe up. 'Those of you who are my entourage, I want to make one thing clear: this is a 1-1 fight to the death. Emphasis on 1-1. If anybody interferes, I will kill them where they stand. Because I have to prove that I am truly the one who was destined to be Chief. Your job is to make sure there is no interference.' 'And if there is?' 'Show no mercy. Do whatever you wish to keep them from interfering in our duel. As long as you do not let them through.' 'We understand ma'am. For your glory, we will observe your victory from a distance.' She looked out into the sky, and just said 'Let's go.'

In Berk

At exactly 11am, the Hel Warriors landed. Immediately Astrid and Hiccup stared at each other. 'I have ordered my troops not to encroach on our battle.' 'I've done the same. I'm sure you expected that.' 'I did.' 'So you won't mind if our Berkians stick by your troops then? If they encroach, there are orders – shoot to kill.' 'You can if you like, but if they interfere, I'll kill them myself. This is between me and you, nobody else.' 'Why don't you take the stupid probe off of your neck then?' 'Yeah, nice try Hiccup. But I'm not going to fall for that one. It gives me the will to do battle.' 'Fine, I gave you a chance. What happens next, this is not on my conscience.' 'How can you fight when you don't even have a Dragon?' 'Oh, I have a Dragon.'

A huge Typhoomerang then rose up behind him, as Tuffnut teared up. 'He returned!' 'Meet Torch. The dragon who is going to win me this final battle.' 'Stormfly, single spine.' The spine was fired out by the Nadder's tail, but Torch simply batted it away with a single wing blast, causing it to narrowly miss Astrid. 'You'll pay for that. Stormfly, up.' 'Follow them Torch.' As the Nadder flew into the air, Torch approached from behind, and Hiccup whispered 'Now headbutt.' As he did, the Typhoomerang buried it's head into Stormfly's rear end just above her tail, causing her to spin wildly out of control. Astrid then swung her axe at Hiccup's head, but he ducked, and then grabbed the axe head, using it to slingshot Astrid overhead, only for Stormfly to catch her just above the ground. She then spent a couple of minutes circling away from her foe, before a series of spines flew through the air from our of nowhere, only for Torch to blast them all back, and then fly over them, using a trail of sparks to set the spines on fire, with the challenger to the throne blocking a number of them with her axe.

At this point Skylar tried to distract Hiccup by shining the midday light into his eyes with a mirror, only for Hookfang to knock him over with a stiff tail, smashing the mirror, while Hiccup used his flame sword to momentarily blind Stormfly, before pushing his former love off of her Dragon, who recovered just in time to save her rider again. 'Get the message Astrid – you're outmatched.' Little did he know that a new plan was formulated, as she fired a spine from beneath into Torch's body, which he initially shook off, before starting to fly more erratically. 'That spine was tipped with a hallucinogenic Hiccup. Torch doesn't know who's friend and who's foe now.'

The Typhoomerang responded by going into a death spin, causing Hiccup to hold on for dear life while Astrid and Stormfly were completely wiped out by the corkscrewing Dragon, ending with everyone crashing into the ground. Valka then walked into the centre. 'If one cannot stand by the count of 100, then the other will be declared the winner via Berk's constitution.' The count barely reached halfway before Astrid stood up, with Hiccup taking his time to stand again. As he did, she charged at him, only for him to surround himself with flammable gas, before using his flame sword to make it explode into flames. 'Are you trying to kill yourself?' 'Surprise Astrid - my armour is new. And it's explosion proof. So I can stay here all day, but the question is, can you survive it?' 

'You're a coward!' 'It's called strategy Astrid. If you can't touch me, you can't harm me.' 'You wanna bet?' She then jumped onto Stormfly's back, and went to jump off, burying the axe in Hiccup's head, only for it to get stuck in a helmet built into his armour. 'This is how I've prepared Astrid. By making sure I can't lose.' 'You can lose. And you will.' She then got onto Stormfly's back, and started firing a series of spines at Hiccup, which bounced harmlessly off of him. 'Stormfly, flare.' The Nadder spat out a white blast of magnesium which burned into the ground next to Torch, who flew up into the air as a result. Stormfly then stopped dead, and fired a single spine, which hit Torch right in the centre of the head, irritating it greatly.

As he flew up, Astrid let Stormfly be pushed back with the gale-force wings to the edge of the armoury. As it went to blast them again, she sprung into action. 'Now Stormfly, low dodge.' The brainwashed Dragon flew underneath Torch, before turning sharply, and firing a circle of spines, the volume of which pushed him back, and pinned his wings to the wall of the armoury, immobilising him entirely. 'Stormfly, Magnesium Blast.' Just as the blast was being fired, a purple bullet of fire flew towards the blast, causing it to explode early. Toothless then landed on the ground in front of Hiccup, and looked back at him.

'I knew it! I knew it!' 'Knew what?' 'Toothless never betrayed me.' 'I saw him, he asked to come with us.' 'He was challenging me. Because last time, I didn't have the guts to do what had to be done. I was busy trying to not hurt you, I wasn't focused on our job – protecting Berk. Now Toothless!' The Night Fury let off an incredibly bright blast, which Astrid ducked, braid flailing. But that was what Hiccup wanted. As she ducked, the blast clipped the probe on the back of her neck, which cracked, and then split entirely, breaking it off of Astrid's neck, and finally freeing her from her mental prison.

As Toothless howled, Astrid sunk to her knees. 'Hiccup… thank you. I should never have turned against you.' 'It's ok I understand. Let's just get going now, before he realises.' 'You're right.' Just then, Astrid screamed in pain. 'Woah woah woah what's going on Astrid?' He then saw a faint glow from under her armour. As he lifted it up, the shrapnel from the Dragon Heart gem was glowing in her chest, while she cried out in pain. Skylar then appeared from behind them, applauding.

'You are indeed strong. I never thought that it would come to this. I must say Hiccup, you are an excellent fighter. Truly tremendous. But I'm afraid that you cannot stand in our way.' 'What are you doing to her? I demand you tell me.' 'It's the Dragon Heart' 'What – the gem that allows you to communicate with the dragons? Unless… it never did that did it?' 'Oh, it does. One slight problem though.' 'What?' 'That in her chest, that isn't the Dragon Heart.' Stunned, Hiccup asked the crucial question. 'Hang on… if it isn't the Dragon Heart, what is it?' 'That gem in her chest is one of my own creation. It contains a potent pheromone. More specifically, it contains a more potent version of what I had been using to control your friends.'

Astrid then snarled at him. 'I'm done with you. You tricked me, you took advantage of my vulnerabilities. I'm not going to let you do that again. Because I'm strong, strong enough to resist you.' Skylar responded by laughing. 'That isn't going to happen. All I have to do to activate that Pheromone is press this little switch' he stated, while parading a small iron box. As he pressed it, Astrid screamed in agony and collapsed to her knees while holding her head. 'GET OUT! GET OUT! HICCUP, GET AWAY FROM HERE!' As he turned around, Heather slammed an axe into Hiccup's ribs, causing him to slump to the ground, completely ko'd, while Astrid cried in pain still. Skylar then spoke to her. 'Astrid, rise back up. You will fight for me from now on. As Ruler of Berk!'

She stood up, eyes narrowed as if the Bewilderbeast controlled her mind. 'I will obey. I will obey my master.' 'Now kill him.' She marched towards him, repeating 'I must obey my master', before Valka stopped her. 'The constitution of Berk states that if he surrenders, he will be imprisoned for 1000 years. He is kneeling, it is surrender.' Skylar smiled at the thought. 'Astrid, if you truly love me, you will lock him up yourself.' 'With pleasure master.' Without hesitation, she picked him up, and dragged him to the dark and lonely dungeons of Berk, where he was thrown into a cell, with Toothless in the neighbouring cell. 'Please Astrid.' Her reply came from cold, dead eyes and a voice devoid of emotion or light. 'I am Astrid Hofferson, chieftain of Berk.'

And with that, Skylar Bludvist had what he always wanted. A wife, a slave, and a kingdom. He relaxed as he oversaw his new empire, an empire run through pain, suffering, and pure evil. Little did he know that plans were already conspiring against him and his rule, as a solitary note left for him in the cliffs read "I will return."

**Fini**

**Coming soon… Dragon Heart 6: The Rise of Drago**


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